Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Victoria Medal Of Honour, Expectancy Theory, Neuropeptide Y

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Mike Atkinson

Document Summary

Motivation is a process that influences the direction, persistence, and vigor of goal-directed behaviour. Psychologists who study motivation identify factors that move us toward our goals. An instinct is an inherited predisposition to behave in a specific and predictable way when exposed to a particular stimulus: have a genetic basis, found universally among all members of the species, do not depend on learning. Previous theories failed as they often relied on circular reasoning. Ma(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:862)ps(cid:455)(cid:272)hologi(cid:272)al(cid:863) (cid:373)oti(cid:448)es ha(cid:448)e e(cid:448)olutio(cid:374)ar(cid:455) u(cid:374)derpi(cid:374)(cid:374)i(cid:374)gs that are e(cid:454)pressed through the actions of genes: the adaptive significance of behaviour is a key to understanding motivation. But people ofte(cid:374) (cid:271)eha(cid:448)e i(cid:374) (cid:449)a(cid:455)s that see(cid:373) to i(cid:374)(cid:272)rease rather tha(cid:374) redu(cid:272)e states of arousal i. e. skipping meals to diet, watching tension-gathering horror movies. Dri(cid:448)es: (cid:448)ie(cid:449)ed as i(cid:374)ter(cid:374)al fa(cid:272)tors that (cid:862)push(cid:863) orga(cid:374)is(cid:373)s i(cid:374)to a(cid:272)tio(cid:374) Incentives: e(cid:374)(cid:448)iro(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)tal sti(cid:373)uli that (cid:862)pull(cid:863) a(cid:374)d orga(cid:374)is(cid:373) to(cid:449)ard a goal i. e. a good grade can be incentive for studying.